The present invention relates to an actuating linkage for a clutch, especially for a motor vehicle clutch with a clutch lever that has two end positions corresponding to the engaged and the disengaged clutch and at which an over-dead-center position spring engages which exerts a force directed toward the respective end position.
In such actuating linkages as are disclosed, for example, in the DE-OS No. 29 23 027, the over-dead-center spring must have a high spring force when high abutment forces are used in the clutch, in order to maintain within acceptable limits the actuating force to be exerted on the clutch lever within the range of the end position corresponding to the disengaged clutch. However, an increase of the actuating force in the range of the other end position results therefrom which has as a consequence a comfort deterioration.
The present invention is concerned with the task to so construct an actuating linkage of the aforementioned type that a low actuating force which does not impair the comfort is achieved over the entire clutch lever travel with high abutment forces in the clutch.
The underlying problems are solved according to the present invention in that a compensating spring engages at the clutch lever which exerts on the clutch lever a force directed toward the end position corresponding to the disengaged clutch whereby the torque applied by the compensating spring on the clutch lever in the range adjacent the end position that corresponds to the disengaged clutch, is smaller as a result of a smaller spring force and/or a smaller effective lever arm than in the range adjacent the end position that corresponds to the engaged clutch.
In the actuating linkage constructed according to the present invention, the compensating spring assists in the range between the end position corresponding to the engaged clutch and the dead-center position of the dead-center spring, the actuating force opposite to the force of the dead-center spring so that the required actuating force is considerably reduced in this range and therewith the actuating comfort is improved. During a further actuation of the clutch lever beyond the dead-center position, the influence of the compensating spring is considerably smaller so that a return of the actuating linkage from the disengaged condition of the clutch is not impaired by return forces that are additively too small.